Tag Archives: Removing oxidation on a shank extension

The third Gourd Calabash from the five that my brother and I picked up in Idaho is an interesting one. I have no idea of the age though the gourd looks similar in age and patina to the previous two pipes. It is certainly a little older than the next two on the work table which look to be Pioneer Gourd Calabashes. This one has been obviously restored and repaired sometime in its long life. The repairman added an interesting touch to the pipe. There is a Cumberland shank extension that is connected to the end of the gourd and gives the old style pipe a touch of another century. The Cumberland has a mortise drilled to take a push stem and it is really well made and well attached. It appears that the repairman used a tube to connect the gourd and the shank extension so it is a very solid repair. The stem and the meerschaum bowl is the only part of this pipe that is both new and unsmoked. I took the pipe apart to have a look at the parts. The Cumberland shank extension was oxidized and dull and really did not show the red striations along its length very well. The stem was also oxidized and dirty. It is interesting that the stem was a little dirty on the inside so I am guessing that it was pressed into service on this pipe from a stem can like my own. The internals of the bowl have some darkening and tars on the walls of the gourd but it has been well cleaned. The externals of the gourd are really in great shape and there is a nice patina to the calabash.The inside of the gourd bowl is in good shape. There is some darkening but it has been well cleaned out. There is a new cork gasket installed around the inner edge of the rim of the gourd. It is dry but is in good shape. I took a picture of the mortise drilling in the Cumberland as well. It is a great piece of craftsmanship.The next photos show the beautiful striations in the Cumberland that are hiding beneath the oxidation. The repairman who put this shank extension on the gourd made an interesting choice to use Cumberland. Nicely done.The old freehand stem was lightly oxidized but was otherwise in great shape. There were not any tooth marks or chatter on the surfaces of the stem. The button and slot were in great shape.I started polishing the Cumberland shank extension with micromesh sanding pads – wet sanding with 1500-2400 grit pads and dry sanding with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed the Cumberland down with Obsidian Oil after each set of three pads. After the final pad I gave it a final coat of oil and let it dry.I ran a pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol through the airway in the shank and the stem. I cleaned out the mortise with cotton swabs and alcohol. The pipe was amazingly clean. The stem had a little debris in it but it was not too bad.I rubbed Vaseline into the cork gasket to enliven it and lubricate it. I repeated the rubdown until the cork was soft and pliable again. When the cork had absorbed the grease I pressed the Meerschaum cup into the gasket and it was a smooth, snug fit.I gave the gourd several coats of Conservator’s Wax and hand buffed it with a soft cloth and a microfiber cloth. The wax gave the gourd a real shine.I set the bowl aside and turned my attention to polishing the stem. I wet sanded it with 1500-2400 grit micromesh sanding pads and dry sanded it with 3200-12000 grit pads. I rubbed it down with Obsidian Oil after each set of three pads and then gave it a final coat of wax after the 12000 grit pad. I set the stem aside to dry. I buffed the stem with Blue Diamond on the buffing wheel to take out the last bit of oxidation and scratching. I gave the stem multiple coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a clean buffing pad to give the stem shine. I put it back on the pipe and gave the shank and bowl several more coats of Conservator’s Wax and hand buffed the entire pipe with a microfiber cloth to deepen the shine. The finished pipe is shown in the photos below. The shine of the Cumberland looks really good between the rich golden yellow of the gourd and the black of the stem. It is a beauty. This one will join the previous two Calabashes on the rebornpipes store very soon. You might consider adding this one to your rack. It is a beauty. Thanks for looking.